Upright Biped: Jerad, are you familiar with the Pod Kopiste lizards transported to Pod Mrcaru in 1971?

After just a few generations on the island, the Pod Mrcaru lizards had developed cecal vales in their guts to help them digest nutrients from their new plant-laden diets, as well as changing their jaw structures, and social behaviors.

Did they just get lucky?

They were tested after 36 years. 100% genetic identity.

That would be in 2007, which is this paper:

Quote

Herrel et al., Rapid large-scale evolutionary divergence in morphology and performance associated with exploitation of a different dietary resource, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2007: Genetic mitochondrial DNA analyses indicate that the lizards currently on Pod Mr?aru are indeed P. sicula and are genetically indistinguishable from lizards from the source population.

The genetic identity refers to mitochondrial DNA, which would have little to do with the observed morphological difference. They used mitochondrial DNA just to prove the connection to the founding population. They suggest a genetic basis rather than a developmental effect for the morphological adaptation as very young juveniles exhibit the cecal valves.

Quote

Herrel et al., Rapid large-scale evolutionary divergence in morphology and performance associated with exploitation of a different dietary resource, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2007: Although the presence of cecal valves and large heads in hatchlings and juveniles suggests a genetic basis for these differences, further studies investigating the potential role of phenotypic plasticity and/or maternal effects in the divergence between populations are needed.

Edited by Zachriel on Sep. 27 2012,17:54

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